Fantasia Sam
I've been here so much longer!
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2000
Well this is a little insight into what goes into planning a wedding at Disney. For those that don't know we are getting wed at the Yacht Club Gazebo with a reception following at Ariel's, a no longer public restaurant at the Beach Club. The day will end with a private Illuminations Dessert Party at the UK Lower Terrace.
So here's the low down :
Location
We had booked a standard room for our stay at the Yacht Club from the 19th December until 30th December. I faxed over a room request to them a couple of days beforehand addressed to the Room Assigner asking if it would be at all possible to have a room overlooking the Wedding Gazebo. Well when I checked in our wish was granted and we were upgraded to a water view room over looking the Wedding Gazebo and with a great view of the Illumination Fireworks.
Officiant
We had organized to meet with our officiant as well as have our planning meeting. We met with Rev. Tim in the YC lobby. Whilst we were staying at the YC we saw Rev. Tim officiate about 4 ceremonies at the YC Gazebo and got the feeling that he was a bit of a regular to the YC which we think is great. We asked questions with regards the ceremony etc. We talked a little about the vows and he got a general feeling about the two of us. We said we were happy for him to write the ceremony and he told us that he would make it a Fairytale one. He couldnt believe how few questions we had for him but to be honest we really didnt know what else to ask. I know that the ceremony is considered the most important part of the day but as far as Paul and I are concerned we could be saying complete jibberish to each other I think we will both be very nervous and want to keep the words as simple as possible.
Planning Session
After meeting with Rev. Tim we walked over to the Convention Centre where we were meeting with our Event Manager for our planning meeting. We were to meet her outside the Hampton Room which is also our back-up ceremony location should it rain. I never realized how grand and big the Convention centre was at the Y&B Club and I have to say I wouldnt be too mortified if it did rain, I feel confident that between Disney and our florist they would see us right in terms of decoration. Im sure it wont rain but you never know.
We walked into the Hampton Room and in the middle of the room was a circular banqueting table laid out for 10, with all the napkins and silver service. We took a seat and our EM explained to us that we would kick off the meeting with the tasting as soon as one of the chefs arrived with the food, in the meantime he would start the planning meeting with us. He then proceeded to ask us questions about how we met, where we worked, our first date, the proposal etc. This was a real ice breaker for us as to be honest Paul and I were a little nervous about what to expect from the planning session and this helped to relax us. A little way into the conversation 2 chefs walked in and we were introduced to them and then a waiter brought in a massive trolley with lots of goodies on.
Menu Tasting
The first thing we had to do was choose which napkin fold we wanted I went for Birds of Paradise LOL I thought it looked more like a boat which is why I chose it. We were then served some water and then chef Robert talked us through the hors d'oeuvres that we had chosen. We didnt really want to go overboard on these and so only chose 3 :
Balsamic Marinated Portabello Mushrooms and Blue Cheese Wedges
Deviled Crabcakes with a Dijon Remoulade
Mini Deep Dish Pizzas
They all tasted wonderful and we discussed that we wanted them to be served on platters to the guests. We want to create a more mingle pre-reception and therefore the hors d'oeuvres that wed chosen would work well. I'm thinking of adding a duck one too.
Then we tried the appetizer there was only one that we had chosen to taste as we were pretty sure that it would be good and we werent disappointed:
Lobster Cake with Cilantro Cream
They presented us with one each and the cakes were accompanies by salad leaves and a coleslaw. They were scrummy.
I wanted to do a soup course as well and chose the :
Clam Chowder
However I was starting to worry that I was getting too fishy and even though I love Clam Chowder I know that its not to everyones taste so I asked that we make available another soup on the day chef Robert suggested Baked Potato Soup, it sounded yummy and even though we didnt get to taste it I have faith that it'll be delish.
It was here that I saw that we had sour-bread rolls on the table and that these would be served on the day. I happened to mention that I had some rolls in the Yachtsman Steakhouse which had onions in and Robert told me they were pull apart Onion Rolls next thing was he got on the phone and asked for some of them to be sent over and lo and behold the Head Pasty Chef brought them over I tried to insist that they didnt go to so much trouble but they wouldn't take no for an answer and Im glad that they didn't I love those rolls. So were having an assortment of both types of bread on the day.
Entrees next and we were both presented fully plated versions of the following to try (so much food):
Chimichurri Crusted Beef Tenderloin Served with Chipolte Potatoe Cakes
Filet Mignon with topped with Bacon & Cheddar with a Cabernet Reduction served with White Truffle Mashed potatoes & Fresh Seasonal Veg
Marinated Oak Grilled Chicken Breast with a Madeira, Cherry Compote served with a Roasted Garlic & Shallot Mashed Potatoes
We are going to offer our guests the choice rather than serve a duo. We went for the second filet mignon and the chicken dish but with the white truffle mash for both as it tasted soo good. However they had put like a melted cheese cookie ontop of the mash and I really didnt like this at all but I could see that the plates needed a little orange color so we asked for carrots instead. The cheese cookies just didnt do it for me and as the filet already has a little cheese on top I felt it was too much.
That was then the end of our tasting. After each dish chef Robert asked if we liked the presentation and then if we did it was photographed so that it would be exactly the same on the day. We talked about the fact that we werent serving dessert because we thought the cake would be sufficient and were having a dessert party in the evening. He agreed but then we talked about having a sorbet course. Now we all got excited then by the thought of having the sorbet served on a lighted sculptured iced starfish but then our EM reminded us that we have a daytime reception and we wouldn't see the true benefit. We all agreed and I was pleased that our EM had stepped in on this otherwise we would have spent money that we didnt really need to. That said we liked the sound of the sorbet decided to go with the sorbet course all the same but served plainly.
Are you bored yet ????
Rehearsal Stuff
We then got on with the rest of the planning meeting. We basically went through everything with a fine tooth comb. We decided about the Rehearsal day and time and how that would tie in with our rehearsal/welcome dinner the day before the wedding at Ohanas.
I booked my hair and makeup trial for the week beforehand when most of the wedding guests have yet to arrive so that they wont see it.
Ceremony
We then decided on where we would each get ready on the morning of the ceremony weve decided that well wake up with each other that morning have breakkie together and then leave each other to get ready. Weve decided not to see each other in all of our finery before the ceremony so that gives us a little more time to get ready in the morning.
After seeing a ceremony the day before at the Gazebo one thing that I knew that we needed was a sound system. There were only about 6 guests at the wedding that I saw and my room overlooked the Gazebo but with all the noise around I couldnt hear a thing! Theres so much happening around the resort as youre quite open to the public from the Gazebo, what with those bike thingys from The Boardwalk, the Friendship boats and then people just walking past I really felt that with over 40 people at the ceremony they wouldnt be able to hear much and I really want people to hear everything. So I asked about a sound system and whils this is gonna cost us extra I feel it'll be worth it.
Weve tentatively booked a keyboardist as well but this will depend on what our friend Sandra prefers to sing along to.
After Ceremony
Weve decided on a rose petal staged exit and then well have some group shots etc. Then our guests will move onto the pre-reception party which starts at 12.00 whilst we have more piccies taken of us. Then well probably go and relax a little in one of the lounges so that we can catch our breath before entering Ariel's for the end of the pre-reception.
Reception
Now I think the plan is that we do our dance and have our toasts and a few little speeches before the meal is served. Weve decided on our first dance number. One of the great things about Ariel's is we dont have to pay for a dance floor as it already has a floor that doubles as a dance floor so this has saved us some money. Also to note is that Ariel's does not have curtains that pull across the windows. Thats fine for us as our reception is during the day and as the windows are tinted you can't see in unless you put your face right up to the windows.
Cake
We tasted cake mmmmmmm I hate normal wedding fruitcake and they don't serve that in the US. I had asked to try marble, yellow and chocolate sponges with dark chocolate mousse, amaretto mouse, Bavarian Cream and Strawberries and raspberries. These came out on platter of just the sponges and then little pots of all the fillings separately. So we were just trying those when our EM brought out a slice of prepared wedding cake which was yellow sponge with white chocolate mousse and raspberry filling. Well that was just delicious !! Im not really a fan of white chocolate but I loved this so much so we decided on this for the bottom layer of the cake with the middle layer a chocolate sponge and dark choccy mousse with raspberries and finally top layer yellow sponge, white chocolate mousse with strawberries this time. We then had to choose the cake decoration which we've chosen to go with our themeing of "Under the Sea".
Other Entertainment
We have decided on some special guests to attend the reception for half an hour during the reception. The keyboardist (if we still have one) will be at the pre-reception. Then we have booked a DJ so that we can boogie on down.
Dessert Party
So the reception is set to finish at 5.00pm but Im gonna see if this can be extended by an hour as I dont feel this is long enough. Then well have a little break until we all have to meet up for the Dessert Party and then the end is nigh.
Summary of Planning Session
We loved our planning meeting all 4 hours of it LOL ! We spent along time on the food :yum ;-)
Our Event Manager was great, he was actually standing in for our normal EM who had to take urgent personal leave. Our stand in was very candid and stopped us from spending unnecessary money for which we were grateful, even th. We were made to feel that our wedding was the most important event happening on this planet and anything we wanted we could have and not necessarily always at a price. Even if Id wanted a separate entrée to the rest of our guests they could have accommodated me (I had trouble choosing which filet to have) .. bless them I dont know what more a bride can ask for.
We are having the whole day photographed and videoed from start to finish.
So here's the low down :
Location
We had booked a standard room for our stay at the Yacht Club from the 19th December until 30th December. I faxed over a room request to them a couple of days beforehand addressed to the Room Assigner asking if it would be at all possible to have a room overlooking the Wedding Gazebo. Well when I checked in our wish was granted and we were upgraded to a water view room over looking the Wedding Gazebo and with a great view of the Illumination Fireworks.
Officiant
We had organized to meet with our officiant as well as have our planning meeting. We met with Rev. Tim in the YC lobby. Whilst we were staying at the YC we saw Rev. Tim officiate about 4 ceremonies at the YC Gazebo and got the feeling that he was a bit of a regular to the YC which we think is great. We asked questions with regards the ceremony etc. We talked a little about the vows and he got a general feeling about the two of us. We said we were happy for him to write the ceremony and he told us that he would make it a Fairytale one. He couldnt believe how few questions we had for him but to be honest we really didnt know what else to ask. I know that the ceremony is considered the most important part of the day but as far as Paul and I are concerned we could be saying complete jibberish to each other I think we will both be very nervous and want to keep the words as simple as possible.
Planning Session
After meeting with Rev. Tim we walked over to the Convention Centre where we were meeting with our Event Manager for our planning meeting. We were to meet her outside the Hampton Room which is also our back-up ceremony location should it rain. I never realized how grand and big the Convention centre was at the Y&B Club and I have to say I wouldnt be too mortified if it did rain, I feel confident that between Disney and our florist they would see us right in terms of decoration. Im sure it wont rain but you never know.
We walked into the Hampton Room and in the middle of the room was a circular banqueting table laid out for 10, with all the napkins and silver service. We took a seat and our EM explained to us that we would kick off the meeting with the tasting as soon as one of the chefs arrived with the food, in the meantime he would start the planning meeting with us. He then proceeded to ask us questions about how we met, where we worked, our first date, the proposal etc. This was a real ice breaker for us as to be honest Paul and I were a little nervous about what to expect from the planning session and this helped to relax us. A little way into the conversation 2 chefs walked in and we were introduced to them and then a waiter brought in a massive trolley with lots of goodies on.
Menu Tasting
The first thing we had to do was choose which napkin fold we wanted I went for Birds of Paradise LOL I thought it looked more like a boat which is why I chose it. We were then served some water and then chef Robert talked us through the hors d'oeuvres that we had chosen. We didnt really want to go overboard on these and so only chose 3 :
Balsamic Marinated Portabello Mushrooms and Blue Cheese Wedges
Deviled Crabcakes with a Dijon Remoulade
Mini Deep Dish Pizzas
They all tasted wonderful and we discussed that we wanted them to be served on platters to the guests. We want to create a more mingle pre-reception and therefore the hors d'oeuvres that wed chosen would work well. I'm thinking of adding a duck one too.
Then we tried the appetizer there was only one that we had chosen to taste as we were pretty sure that it would be good and we werent disappointed:
Lobster Cake with Cilantro Cream
They presented us with one each and the cakes were accompanies by salad leaves and a coleslaw. They were scrummy.
I wanted to do a soup course as well and chose the :
Clam Chowder
However I was starting to worry that I was getting too fishy and even though I love Clam Chowder I know that its not to everyones taste so I asked that we make available another soup on the day chef Robert suggested Baked Potato Soup, it sounded yummy and even though we didnt get to taste it I have faith that it'll be delish.
It was here that I saw that we had sour-bread rolls on the table and that these would be served on the day. I happened to mention that I had some rolls in the Yachtsman Steakhouse which had onions in and Robert told me they were pull apart Onion Rolls next thing was he got on the phone and asked for some of them to be sent over and lo and behold the Head Pasty Chef brought them over I tried to insist that they didnt go to so much trouble but they wouldn't take no for an answer and Im glad that they didn't I love those rolls. So were having an assortment of both types of bread on the day.
Entrees next and we were both presented fully plated versions of the following to try (so much food):
Chimichurri Crusted Beef Tenderloin Served with Chipolte Potatoe Cakes
Filet Mignon with topped with Bacon & Cheddar with a Cabernet Reduction served with White Truffle Mashed potatoes & Fresh Seasonal Veg
Marinated Oak Grilled Chicken Breast with a Madeira, Cherry Compote served with a Roasted Garlic & Shallot Mashed Potatoes
We are going to offer our guests the choice rather than serve a duo. We went for the second filet mignon and the chicken dish but with the white truffle mash for both as it tasted soo good. However they had put like a melted cheese cookie ontop of the mash and I really didnt like this at all but I could see that the plates needed a little orange color so we asked for carrots instead. The cheese cookies just didnt do it for me and as the filet already has a little cheese on top I felt it was too much.
That was then the end of our tasting. After each dish chef Robert asked if we liked the presentation and then if we did it was photographed so that it would be exactly the same on the day. We talked about the fact that we werent serving dessert because we thought the cake would be sufficient and were having a dessert party in the evening. He agreed but then we talked about having a sorbet course. Now we all got excited then by the thought of having the sorbet served on a lighted sculptured iced starfish but then our EM reminded us that we have a daytime reception and we wouldn't see the true benefit. We all agreed and I was pleased that our EM had stepped in on this otherwise we would have spent money that we didnt really need to. That said we liked the sound of the sorbet decided to go with the sorbet course all the same but served plainly.
Are you bored yet ????
Rehearsal Stuff
We then got on with the rest of the planning meeting. We basically went through everything with a fine tooth comb. We decided about the Rehearsal day and time and how that would tie in with our rehearsal/welcome dinner the day before the wedding at Ohanas.
I booked my hair and makeup trial for the week beforehand when most of the wedding guests have yet to arrive so that they wont see it.
Ceremony
We then decided on where we would each get ready on the morning of the ceremony weve decided that well wake up with each other that morning have breakkie together and then leave each other to get ready. Weve decided not to see each other in all of our finery before the ceremony so that gives us a little more time to get ready in the morning.
After seeing a ceremony the day before at the Gazebo one thing that I knew that we needed was a sound system. There were only about 6 guests at the wedding that I saw and my room overlooked the Gazebo but with all the noise around I couldnt hear a thing! Theres so much happening around the resort as youre quite open to the public from the Gazebo, what with those bike thingys from The Boardwalk, the Friendship boats and then people just walking past I really felt that with over 40 people at the ceremony they wouldnt be able to hear much and I really want people to hear everything. So I asked about a sound system and whils this is gonna cost us extra I feel it'll be worth it.
Weve tentatively booked a keyboardist as well but this will depend on what our friend Sandra prefers to sing along to.
After Ceremony
Weve decided on a rose petal staged exit and then well have some group shots etc. Then our guests will move onto the pre-reception party which starts at 12.00 whilst we have more piccies taken of us. Then well probably go and relax a little in one of the lounges so that we can catch our breath before entering Ariel's for the end of the pre-reception.
Reception
Now I think the plan is that we do our dance and have our toasts and a few little speeches before the meal is served. Weve decided on our first dance number. One of the great things about Ariel's is we dont have to pay for a dance floor as it already has a floor that doubles as a dance floor so this has saved us some money. Also to note is that Ariel's does not have curtains that pull across the windows. Thats fine for us as our reception is during the day and as the windows are tinted you can't see in unless you put your face right up to the windows.
Cake
We tasted cake mmmmmmm I hate normal wedding fruitcake and they don't serve that in the US. I had asked to try marble, yellow and chocolate sponges with dark chocolate mousse, amaretto mouse, Bavarian Cream and Strawberries and raspberries. These came out on platter of just the sponges and then little pots of all the fillings separately. So we were just trying those when our EM brought out a slice of prepared wedding cake which was yellow sponge with white chocolate mousse and raspberry filling. Well that was just delicious !! Im not really a fan of white chocolate but I loved this so much so we decided on this for the bottom layer of the cake with the middle layer a chocolate sponge and dark choccy mousse with raspberries and finally top layer yellow sponge, white chocolate mousse with strawberries this time. We then had to choose the cake decoration which we've chosen to go with our themeing of "Under the Sea".
Other Entertainment
We have decided on some special guests to attend the reception for half an hour during the reception. The keyboardist (if we still have one) will be at the pre-reception. Then we have booked a DJ so that we can boogie on down.
Dessert Party
So the reception is set to finish at 5.00pm but Im gonna see if this can be extended by an hour as I dont feel this is long enough. Then well have a little break until we all have to meet up for the Dessert Party and then the end is nigh.
Summary of Planning Session
We loved our planning meeting all 4 hours of it LOL ! We spent along time on the food :yum ;-)
Our Event Manager was great, he was actually standing in for our normal EM who had to take urgent personal leave. Our stand in was very candid and stopped us from spending unnecessary money for which we were grateful, even th. We were made to feel that our wedding was the most important event happening on this planet and anything we wanted we could have and not necessarily always at a price. Even if Id wanted a separate entrée to the rest of our guests they could have accommodated me (I had trouble choosing which filet to have) .. bless them I dont know what more a bride can ask for.
We are having the whole day photographed and videoed from start to finish.
